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UK premiere and first drives galore at Silverstone fleet show

There will be an exciting UK premiere plus first drives of new models at this year's Fleet World Fleet Show at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit on April 9, including first sight of the Peugeot 308 SW estate which made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show this week.

UK fleet decision makers will have their first opportunity to see the new model at close quarters on a static display and find out for themselves why leading car experts have just awarded the 308 the European Car of the Year Award.

The new Peugeot 308 SW estate builds on Peugeot's ECOTY-winning hatchback range and boasts the frugal new BlueHDI Euro 6 compliant engine line-up. With fuel economy of 88.3mpg and carbon emissions of just 85g/km, the 308 SW sets new segment standards and is sure to attract attention from cost-conscious fleet managers.

The 308 SW also has impressive load carrying credentials, with a 660-litre boot space and 70-litres of under-floor storage. When the rear bench tips flat load capacity is boosted to 1,660 litres and the boot floor has removable dividers to stop luggage moving around.

Peugeot will also have the new 208 GTI at Silverstone, offering 200bhp from its 1.6-litre turbocharged engine but with impressive CO2 emissions of just139g/km and returning 47.9mpg.

At the same time, it will showcase the new RCZ R, it's the most powerful model yet, offering 268bhp and reaching 62mph in 6.1 seconds yet proving its fuel and carbon efficiency with 44.8mpg and 145g/km.

Meanwhile, Peugeot stablemate, Citroen will be offering fleet managers a stylish transfer into the show from the Silverstone car parks courtesy of a fleet of C4 and Grand C4 Picassos.

The C4 Picasso is the first of a refreshed C-Line from Citroen, and is available in a five-seat format or as the seven-seat Grand C4 Picasso, both offering CO2 emissions of 98g/km with 74.3mpg fuel economy and massive interior flexibility, helped by a longer wheelbase within the same footprint as their predecessors.

Citroen is also making its full DS-Line available to drive at Silverstone. With sales of 410,000 vehicles worldwide since 2010, this has grown to include a 100-car run of the 205bhp DS3 Cabrio Racing. Engineered by the team behind Citroen's eight World Rally Championship victories, visitors will be given an exclusive chance to experience hot laps of this rare model and the DS4 on the Grand Prix circuit.

Jerry Ramsdale, organiser of the Fleet World Fleet Show event, said: "We are delighted with the number of first drives and UK premieres that have been announced for this year's Show, but we fully expect a number more to break cover before the event as the motor manufacturers firm up their plans for this year's event.

"We are delighted that Peugeot has decided to give a UK debut to its stylish new 308 SW estate, from the European Car of the Year Award-winning 308 range. And we fully expect to be making further announcements in the coming weeks leading up to the Show."

The Silverstone Grand Prix circuit has been split in two this year, so that the National circuit can be used for high-speed laps, and the International Circuit for road speed drives. There is also an off-road circuit for those wishing to try one of the many 4x4s that will be on offer.

At the same time, a new eco-driving initiative at Silverstone's infield Stowe Circuit, is being supported by Allstar Card Services. The Eco-driving Hub will feature those manufacturers with strong low-CO2 sub-brands will demonstrate not only the fuel efficiency of their cars, but also how they can be driven in the most economical fashion.

And it will be the focus of a range of fuel and cost saving initiatives, all designed to make fleet managers aware of the wide range of products and services available in this area of the fleet market.

In addition, a team of eco-driving experts from corporate driver training specialists, IAM Drive & Survive, will be available on the day to help fleet managers understand how they can achieve - or even exceed - the published fuel consumption figures for popular fleet cars.

As well as the test driving element, the Show will again feature anindoor exhibition in halls 1-3 of the Silverstone Wing, with up to 60 exhibitors demonstrating some of the latest developments, products and services in the fleet arena.

The Show also will pioneer an exciting new seminar and training format designed to provide practical hands-on advice and guidance across a range of fleet management disciplines.

Each session will be presented by a respected and current fleet manager whose own experience in their chosen subject area will provide delegates with a case-study style learning experience.